The Metal Music Archive

Refused (Umeå, Sweden) This is a band that should be well known, but are not.  Most of the time when you ask people who Refused are, they have no idea.  This band with one album in particular, changed part of the faces of Hardcore/Punk and Metal, as they gained in popularity on both sides. In 1991, Refused was formed […]

Tragedy (Memphis, Tennessee) If you know the band His Hero Is Gone, then you might know who Tragedy are.  Within the last half of the 90’s His Hero Is Gone ruled a section of the punk/hardcore scene but unless you payed close attention, you wouldn’t know.  They weren’t interested in any sort of popularity.  If you […]

System of a Down (Glendale, California)  A huge mixture of styles with heavy use of vocal harmonies and being silly as all hell at times, this band is one of the most unique acts around.  Lyrical content mostly hits on politics, sex, drugs, and war.  They’ve been known for having a Frank Zappa-esque attitude/demeanor.  And they […]

Snot (Santa Barbara, California)              It’s sad when something so great, that has massive potential is cut short of achieving amazing heights, which is the case with Snot.  With the release of only one album, they combined different genres such as blues, funk, rap, alternative rock, punk, and metal giving […]

Bad Brains (Washington D.C.)                       This influential punk rock band with members coming from a very musical background called themselves Mind Power playing jazz fusion in the vein of Return to Forever or Mahavishnu Orchestra.  Once they heard the aggression of punk and metal, they became […]

Converge (Salem, Massachusetts)                     Take math infused poly-rhythmic experimental metal and mix that in with the intensity of hardcore punk, then put what sounds like a dying panther on the mic (sometimes you get surprisingly good melodic singing too) and you have Converge.  It is true that some […]

Dystopia (Orange County, California)                    In the mid to late 90’s, when this writer was a teenager, there were a few friends I had, that loved this little-known Sludge/Punk/Death Metal band all the way from California.  We were in Michigan.  I was immediately impressed with how raw […]

Repulsion (Flint, Michigan)               These Michigan natives would become one of the biggest influential acts within the genre of grindcore.  Some say, they are the biggest grindcore influence.  With the dirty yet huge and distorted bass sound, crunchy low tuned guitars, drums that sound chaotic producing spastic blast beats […]

Hatebreed (Wallingford, Conneticut)                  Jamey Jasta, lead singer, could probably start a mosh-pit with his unmistakable scream by himself.  You instantly know it’s Hatebreed when Jamey gets on the mic. Hatebreed formed in 1994 and started selling a three song demo to locals, opening peoples ears to their […]